Clear Finish

Hi All, sorry if this has been asked before, but couldn't find the right thread.

I've been doing my guitars with RCA acrylic spray cans and just doing a TL1 and wondering about the finish of the headstock. I'm about to shape it and i've been thinking that i may keep the headstock clear instead of black to match to body.

Can you spray acrylic clear coat straight onto the headstock (its maple) without a filler or sealer / primer?

I've used TruOil in the past and will probably use for the neck itself but for the headstock face i prefer the acrylic finish.

Thoughts?

The short answer is yes. You can apply clear acrylic lacquer directly onto maple.
Maple requires no grain filling as it's a very closed pore timber.

I would recommend not sanding beyond P240 or P320 since the acrylic lacquer will be mechanically bonding to the timber (like a primer would do) not chemically bonding.

The only thing I would add for consideration is the use of Tru Oil and clear acrylic lacquer, is that the Tru Oil will have definite amber tint to it which will slightly darken with age, clear acrylic lacquer will tend to keep its clear appearance for a very long time. So you will end up with a bit of a 2-tone look between the face of the headstock and the back (or where ever you apply the Tru Oil).

You also have to be careful of compatibility between Tru Oil and clear acrylic lacquer. Tru Oil is oil based, and lacquer is solvent based.
If the lacquer goes over the Tru Oil, it will melt it due to the "hotter" solvent. There would issues if any Tru Oil was applied over any lacquer as well because the solvents gassing off under the Tru Oil would cause it to lift.

You mighty get away with it by masking things off really well, but there's always a risk if combining two finish types. Honestly, I would suggest going entirely with either one or the other.

Thanks McCreed, very useful information! I figured i could but wanted to check.

Good point around the P240 grit as well, something i hadn't given thought too.

One of the reasons for using the lacquer was to get the non-amber tint over time. I did another kit completely in TruOil and it came up really nice, but the more i look at it the more i wish it didn't have the slight tint (especially knowing its going to get even more so over time).

I agree with sticking to one of the other, the only reason i've considered the TruOil on the back of the neck is that i really like the feel from a playability perspective. I like that it is really slippery! The back of my LP is tacky after years of playing :-(

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I did another kit completely in TruOil and it came up really nice, but the more i look at it the more i wish it didn't have the slight tint (especially knowing its going to get even more so over time).

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I will say that the change in colour over time is very slight, but it does occur.

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I agree with sticking to one of the other, the only reason i've considered the TruOil on the back of the neck is that i really like the feel from a playability perspective. I like that it is really slippery! The back of my LP is tacky after years of playing :-(

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I would suggest trying satin polyurethane. That has become my go-to finish for necks for the past 2 years and I don't see going back to anything else. I just love the feel. AAMOF, I have stripped a coiuple of necks I previously sprayed with ac laq and refinished them with satin poly!
Also with poly, you can do the headstock with a gloss and the back with satin if you want, and there's no compatibility issues (providing they are both the same base, oil base/oil base or water base/water base).

I have done satin with gloss as well as all satin. And you can even polish satin to a gloss, which gives a unique gloss look because of the higher solid content.

Just throwing out options...

Just need to mention that most acrylic sprays are water-based these days, rather than using an organic solvent. It’s why acrylic is far more eco-friendly than say nitro.

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Originally Posted by McCreed

I will say that the change in colour over time is very slight, but it does occur.



I would suggest trying satin polyurethane. That has become my go-to finish for necks for the past 2 years and I don't see going back to anything else. I just love the feel. AAMOF, I have stripped a coiuple of necks I previously sprayed with ac laq and refinished them with satin poly!
Also with poly, you can do the headstock with a gloss and the back with satin if you want, and there's no compatibility issues (providing they are both the same base, oil base/oil base or water base/water base).

I have done satin with gloss as well as all satin. And you can even polish satin to a gloss, which gives a unique gloss look because of the higher solid content.

Just throwing out options...

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Some great ideas, thank for that! I'll look further into but i think i have a good idea of direction now and what's doable so all good.

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

Just need to mention that most acrylic sprays are water-based these days, rather than using an organic solvent. It’s why acrylic is far more eco-friendly than say nitro.

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I haven't used rattle can acrylic clear in a few years so don't really have a good handle on what's out there now. It's good to hear they're moving in an eco-friendly direction though. However, a quick search for it in Australia seems we're well behind the curve*.

*edit: I am referring to rattle can clear. Water based lacquers are available for spraying, but seems to be more so in bulk 4-20L than 250-500ml like I use in solvent based stuff.

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Originally Posted by McCreed

I haven't used rattle can acrylic clear in a few years so don't really have a good handle on what's out there now. It's good to hear they're moving in an eco-friendly direction though. However, a quick search for it in Australia seems we're well behind the curve*.

*edit: I am referring to rattle can clear. Water based lacquers are available for spraying, but seems to be more so in bulk 4-20L than 250-500ml like I use in solvent based stuff.

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Water based poly urethane is more common. Just wish someone would come out with an automotive water based clear.

I’m probably confusing the solid colours with the clears then. Sorry!

First, apologies to a_novice for the hijack...

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Originally Posted by Rabbit

Water based poly urethane is more common. Just wish someone would come out with an automotive water based clear.

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Rabbit, I've seen water based clear "lacquer" for guitars and woodworking. How would that differ from an automotive lacquer?
I'm just thinking vintage guitars were painted with auto lacquers, so wouldn't it work other way around?
FTR, I've never done any car painting and my only experience with lacquers has been on guitars.

Also, I've just been reading a bit about waterbourne automotive paints, and it does seem like the technology just isn't quite there yet. Even PPG, whom I think kind of came up with it first (???) points out its shortcomings.